Checking for updates from within OpenOffice.org leads to:"Error reading data from the network. Server error message: Could not read status line: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host."

Since the move from Oracle to Apache Software Foundation, some parts of the former websites have been closed (especially the one where was hosted the request processing). Therefore, any attempt to check if a new version is available will fail.

This problem will not be fixed until at least Apache OpenOffice 3.4 to be released in a while. Until then, there is no other choice than to switch off the feature in Tools>Options>OpenOffice.org>Online Update, then untick the first option (Check for updates automatically). Note that under Mac, Tools entry is Preferences.

For what it's worth, LibreOffice may have fixed this issue (on their side for their part) in version 3.5:

3.5 New Features and Fixes wrote:Fixed the Check for Updates... mechanism, and implemented the server side. It checks for updates automatically at user defined intervals, and allows manual download of the newest version. (Jan Holesovsky)

3.5 New Features and Fixes wrote:LibreOffice checks for updates automatically at user defined intervals, and allows manual download of the newest version. (Jan Holešovsky)

Of course, this means nothing on the Apache OpenOffice side of things, for now...

I just loaded 3.4.1build 9593 (was on 3.4.0 build 9583) and still get "Checking For Update fails". No big deal I was just checking around on the forum to see if it was suppose to work, I can always download a new version by checking in the available downloads.